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Which?, the consumer group has reportedly written to Jeremy Hunt claiming the government must also target small grocery stores with its food price measures in order for it to be effective.
According to the Guardian, it also stated that a “blanket approach” will not address poor households’ access to affordable food,after ministers were considering a voluntary price cap scheme.
The news comes after Which? performed a study evaluating the accessibility of 29 common commodities, after visiting both large and small businesses
It discovered that at convenience stores like Tesco Express and Sainsbury Local, items in the price range were only available less than 1% of the time.
Additionally, in another survey the organisation found that two-thirds of low-income families relied on these stores and that a Tesco Express consumer would spend £800 more a year compared with at a larger Tesco store or online.
According to the Guardian, Which? ‘s director of policy and advocacy, Rocio Concha, said the cost of food was higher for those without access to larger stores and it was unclear whether an intervention such as a price cap would help consumers.
Sue Davies, Which? ‘s head of food policy, told the outlet: “The government is right to be looking at how to support people with soaring food costs but unfortunately without addressing the issues hitting shoppers, and particularly those on low incomes relying on expensive convenience stores, these food price measures won’t touch the sides.
“Ministers should prioritise securing commitments from supermarkets to stock a healthy and affordable budget range across their stores, including convenience stores and ensuring pricing is easily comparable so people can see which items offer the best value.”
